


It's The End Of The World And We Can't Do Anything About It

by minyoongurt



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Child Death, Child NCT Dream, Crying, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Married Characters, Married Couple, Minor Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee, Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2019-07-16 03:25:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16077350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minyoongurt/pseuds/minyoongurt
Summary: After the zombie outbreak, life isn't as easy as it used to be. Food was more scarce, shelter was more rare, and above all, death was more common. Fathers, Friends, and Loved Ones are lost throughout the journey to survival, but the strongest people will make it out alive with scars and memories to remember it by.--(aka NCT zombie apocalypse au where a lot of people die and the dreamies are actual children.)





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry in advance.

**_Day 1 [1:48 pm] - Johnny, Ten, Donghyuck_ **

 

The front door of the normally quiet and cozy home slammed open, disturbing the pair on the couch. Both Ten and Donghyuck looked up from the ABC flashcards they were looking over, for Donghyuck was starting Kindergarten in a week. The five-year-old was immediately scooped into his father’s arms while the man stood up.

 

“John?” Ten called out, only to be met with the familiar click of boots. It proved his suspicions true, but how could his husband be home so early? He turned the corner to the foyer, only to be met with deep brown bootprints leading to the master bedroom. 

 

“Johnny! What have I said about cleaning your shoes off before you walk inside?” Ten sighed and placed Donghyuck back on the floor. The child ran back to the couch and toyed with the TV remote until he successfully turned Spongebob Squarepants on.

 

Ten walked to the master bedroom with a frown on his usually very calm features. It was so unlike his husband to come home early  _ and  _ spread what looked like mud through the house.

 

“John-” 

 

The officer was shoving as much clothes and personal hygiene products into a suitcase as possible. The brown sludge was smeared across various parts of his outfit and what little exposed skin he had. Johnny completely ignored his husband as he zipped up the suitcase. 

 

“Go get Donghyuck and pack as much of his clothing as you can. We need to leave.  _ Now _ .” He demanded, only to get a raised eyebrow from Ten. 

 

“What has gotten into you? You come home covered in god knows what after telling us that you had to work late tonight and you demand that we leave? What is going on, Youngho?” Ten asked as he wrapped his hand around his husband’s wrist to prevent him from packing any more. He watched as the older male sighed and closed the suitcase best he could with one hand. 

 

“I’ll explain later, but  _ please _ go get Hyuckie and go out to my truck. I’ll be out there shortly, just please listen to me for one time in your life, Ten.”  Johnny pleaded, holding onto the shorter’s shoulders and giving him a small shake. 

 

From the living room loud laughter rang out, causing the couple to sigh simultaneously. Their little sun was so excited to start Kindergarten the following week, it was going to be awful trying to explain to him that they had to leave. Ten ran a hand through his hair before he nodded and walked back out to the living room. He picked up the remote from where it appeared to have been thrown onto the floor and turned the television off, causing his son to shout out protests. 

 

“Appa! Turn it back on!” Donghyuck whined, pointing to the now black screen. He stood up on the couch and attempted to grab the remote from his father with his little chubby hands.

 

“No, Hyuck. There’s an emergency and Dad and I need to take you somewhere safe, alright?” Ten asked as he crouched down in front of the couch, worry written all over his face. He silently prayed that their son would understand, considering they happened to adopt the most stubborn child on the planet. 

 

Donghyuck watched his Dad rush out the door, two suitcases in hand. He turned to his father and gave a small nod of understanding. He wrapped his arms around Ten’s neck as his father stood up, successfully being picked up. 

 

“It’ll be okay, okay?” Ten looked to the child in his arms, who gave him a small nod. He then quickly rushed to the front door and shoved his feet into a pair of sneakers, grabbing Donghyuck’s shoes as well before he ran out the door. 

 

Ten climbed into the backseat of Johnny’s black Toyota 4runner. He sat their son in the seat beside him and told him to put his shoes on whilst he climbed back out of the car to wait for his husband. Johnny soon came running from the house with Hyuck’s Spiderman backpack in one hand and a plastic bag full of food and water in the other. He tossed the backpack to Ten, who caught it and gave it to the ball of sunshine in the backseat. 

 

Johnny put the food bag into the passenger seat before he got into the driver's seat and started the car. “Listen, I’m sorry this is so sudden, but it’s not my fault. There was an outbreak at the hospital of this crazy illness. It’s spread through the saliva of the infected to an open wound. It can kill you from as little as 5 minutes to as long as an hour. The thing is, once you die you don’t actually die....I guess. You come back as what can only be described as a flesh-eating zombie.” He let out a sigh. “The entire police force was informed this morning when it broke out, we were at the hospital trying to contain the hostiles, but it didn’t work. We need to evacuate.”

 

“Wait, which hospital?” Ten asked, a mix of horror and worry written across his face.

 

Johnny raised a brow, confused on why the specific hospital would be so important. “Severance Hospital. Ten I don’t understand why y-”

 

He cut the older off. “That’s where Kun works.”

 

**_Day 1 [10:03 am] - Taeil, Kun_ **

 

“And you’ll take one of these every twelve hours until the prescription runs out.” Kun said as he handed a pill bottle to a patient. He offered a kind smile to them before they left. The doctor began to collect his things and leave, only to practically jump out of his skin when the door slammed open.

“Doctor-” 

 

“Taeil-ssi! What did I say about knocking?! You all but gave me a heart attack!” Kun held his chest for emphasis as he looked over to the nurse, only to immediately know  _ something _ was wrong. His face turned serious. “What’s wrong?”

 

“You’re going to need to see this.”

 

\-----

 

Kun looked at the unconscious man on the table. The man’s skin was sickly pale, at this point he almost looked dead. Actually, he was dead. There was no pulse according to the heart rate monitor. 

 

“What happened? Why have you called me in here?” The doctor asked, looking to the older male beside him.

 

Taeil looked like he was in shock, shaking his head slowly. “He was awake only minutes ago.” He said quietly, looking to Kun. “His eyes had gone cloudy suddenly, like he had cataracts. His body was convulsing like crazy, Doctor. More so than just a seizure.” Taeil stepped over to a cart and picked up a glass vial. In it contained what looked like deep brown mud. 

 

“Taeil, this is ridiculous. This has to be some kind of joke.” Kun said as he took the vial and held it up to the light. He shook his head. “What is this? Chocolate sauce?” 

 

The nurse shook his head and took the vial back. “It’s his blood, doctor.” Taeil sighed and grabbed a pair of latex gloves, handing them to his companion.

 

Kun eyed Taeil curiously before taking the gloves and pulling them on, the latex snapping around his wrists. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Taeil-ssi.” He sighed whilst he stepped closer to the patient and lifted it’s eyelids. “This is far worse than cataracts.” The doctor muttered to himself.

 

As if receiving an electric shock, the person on the table jerked to the side. Kun immediately backed away, eyes darting back to the older male beside him. “What kind of joke are you playing, Taeil-ssi?” He demanded, flinching when the  _ thing  _ jerked again. 

 

“Kun, this isn’t a joke.” The nurse shook his head as he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. “I’m calling the police, I can’t take this anymore. This is too much for- AH!” He screamed when the thing fell to the floor. He grabbed Kun’s arm and pulled the younger away. 

 

“We need to get out of here.” Kun breathed out, eyes on the thought-to-be-dead human. 

 

The thing’s head suddenly snapped towards the pair, eyes wide and lifeless yet wide awake. It lunged at the closest person, which happened to be none other than Moon Taeil. It’s teeth sunk into the nurse’s leg, said nurse letting out a pitched scream. 

 

Taeil kicked the undead being away before grabbing Kun’s arm and pulling him out of the room. He was limping as his blood ran down his leg and onto the clean hospital floor. 

 

“Someone call the police!” Kun yelled whilst the pushed Taeil into an empty room and helped him onto  the hospital bed. He used the papery blanket on the bed to try to stop the bleeding, though it didn’t seem to be helping much. The blood was only being soaked up as it continued to keep coming. “There’s a hostile in room B213!” He yelled, glancing out the door. 

 

Taeil’s skin had begun to pale, he was nearly grey. He gripped Kun’s shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut due to pure pain. “I don’t feel good.” He groaned. “Please don’t let  me die,  _ please  _ don’t let me die.” He begged. 

 

He started at Kun, eyes wide with fear. The world began to tilt and turn around him just as his vision began to get spotty. He began to cough uncontrollably, the same chocolate sauce-like substance oozing from his lips. ‘ _ This is the end _ ’ Taeil thought to himself as he took one last look at one of his closest friends before he let his eyes fall shut. 

 

That’s when sirens were heard outside.

 

**_Day 1 [6:22 pm] - Sicheng, Renjun, Chenle_ **

 

“Where is he?” Sicheng muttered to himself as he glanced at the clock on the stove again. His husband was supposed to be home just over twenty minutes ago. The hospital was a half hour drive and Kun usually got off work at 5:30, he was almost never late.

 

Sicheng let out a sigh and turned the television on as he sat down on the couch. He glanced over to his seven and four year old on the carpet. They were busy playing some kind of game with toy trucks, it was Chenle’s favorite. Chenle loved his older brother probably more than he loved his parents. They had been inseparable ever since Sicheng and Kun had brought Lele home almost a year ago. They were two peas in a pod. 

  
  


Sicheng turned his attention back to the television, where it was showing breaking news from earlier that day. He didn’t pay much attention until something caught his attention. The city was in a state of emergency and all citizens were being evacuated immediately.

 

He frowned and pulled out his phone to call Kun.  _ Again _ . He waited and waited, foot tapping anxiously on the ground. At this point Renjun and Chenle had began to notice something was wrong.  

 

“Where’s Papa?” Renjun finally asked. Even he had realized that Kun was usually home by now. “He’s going to be late for dinner. Where is he?” 

 

Sicheng shook his head and hung up once the call went to  voicemail again. Hearing his husband’s sweet voice telling him that he’d call back when he got the chance was bringing almost a sickening feeling.

 

SiIcheng perked up when his phone buzzed, catching the attention of the two children. 

 

**_Koon (6:35):_ **

_ Gte the kids put of ther _

 

**_Cheng-Cheng (6:36):_ **

_ Where are you? What’s going on? Are you okay? _

 

After a painfully long two minutes of no answer, his phone began to ring. 

 

Sicheng accepted the call almost immediately. “Kun?” He breathed out, causing both of the children to run over to him. Chenle climbed onto his lap while Renjun sat on his legs.

 

“Put me on speaker.” Came Kun’s quiet voice on the other line.

 

Sicheng compiled and put the phone on speaker, handing it to Chenle. The child stared at the phone in his tiny hands, awaiting to hear from his (favorite) parent. Don’t tell Sicheng he prefered Kun. 

 

“Lele, Injunnie,” Kun spoke quietly, like he was trying to keep his voice from being heard. “Winnie.” His voice cracked. “I love you guys. Please don’t forget that. You three are my whole world. There’s not one moment in the day where I don’t think about you. Please don’t forget about me.”

 

“Please tell me where you are so I can come get you.” Sicheng said quickly. “We’re going to have to evacuate and I intend on bringing you with us. We could go visit my parents or yours. We’d be safe. Please just tell me where you are.” He pleaded. 

The other line was quiet for a few moments, the only noise was the creaking of something behind Kun and the man’s heavy breathing. It was probably nothing. Though even the small noise left the family on edge. Chenle looked close to tears. 

 

Renjun wrapped his arms around his little brother, who wouldn’t take his eyes off the phone. Chenle had always been a little more clingy to Kun rather than Sicheng, the elder of the two parents always being a little more nurturing and warming. Although he adored both of them nonetheless.

 

“Winnie, just get the kids out of here. I promise I’ll come find you guys. I  _ promise _ .” Kun said quickly, voice firm and sincere. “I love you three so much. Injunnie, protect Lele for me. Please. Lele, keep your Appa in check for me. And Sicheng, take care of them. I know you can.” 

 

With that, the call ended.


	2. Day 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John and his family meet a new friend and somewhere in the abandoned city a kid loses an arm.

Day 7 [11:19 am] - Mark

‘Worst. School trip. Ever.’ Mark thought to himself as he climbed through the broken window of an abandoned gas station. A 7 Eleven to be exact. He, along with a few other students in his class, had taken a trip to Korea to learn more about the culture. Who knew it was going to turn out like this. 

He didn’t know anybody. He didn’t know where he was. He couldn’t even contact his parents to tell them what was wrong! He was just a kid from Vancouver who only knew select Korean phrases. It was mostly just ones his parents had taught him before he left.

Mark grabbed a bag of potato chips and shoved them into his backpack along with what looked like a pack of gum. It wasn’t much, but he could make it last him two days at least. He rummaged around a bit more, trying not to make too much noise. 

He soon found a part of one of the shelves that had broken off. He picked it up, seeing that it could be a good weapon. He really hoped that all those months he spent watching The Walking Dead weren’t a waste of time. 

Mark felt his gut twist when he heard the roar of an engine outside. Maybe it’s someone who could help him! He quickly threw his backpack over his shoulder and carefully made his way outside the same broken window he entered through. 

He ran out into the street and looked around, spotting a black truck coming towards him. Mark’s eyes widened and he felt his heart speed up. This could be his gig out of here! 

“Hey!” He raised his arms up into the air and waved then around, stumbling off to the side of the road so he didn't get run over. 

He watched with wide eyes as the car came to a stop. A tall male stepped out of the car, dressed in a police uniform and a dark substance stread up his front. He seemed kind...ish. 

“Uh, hey. I uh-” Mark stumbled over his words, realizing the officer probably had no idea what he was saying. 

“Calm down, Kid. What’s the problem?” The man asked, a small smile on his face.

Mark let out a deep sigh. This guy knew English. “I don’t know where I am, man. I’m from Canada. I’m here on a school trip. Is there any way you could help me out?” he asked. 

The officer looked over to the car, Mark followed his eyes. He saw another man, who had a small child in his arms. They seemed just as startled as him. 

“As long as you don’t mind my family, I guess you can come along.” The man said, causing a smile to bloom on Mark’s face. 

The teenager shook his head furiously. “No, I don’t mind at all.” He held out his hand. “I’m Mark.”

The officer returned the smile and shook Mark’s hand. “Johnny.”

The pair climbed into the car, Johnny back in the front seat and Mark in the back. The other man in the car looked at Johnny like he was crazy, while the child was staring at Mark with wide eyes. 

“This is Ten, my husband, and Donghyuck, my son. Guys this is Mark. He’s from Canada, so he doesn’t speak much Korean.” Johnny explained. 

Mark gave an awkward wave and a sheepish smile. “Hi. I’m just here to get a ride, I promise I won’t hold you guys back or anything.” 

He watched as ‘Ten’ looked at him suspiciously, then nodded. 

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. We’re headed to this camp in Daegu, it’s supposedly full of survivors.” Ten said as Johnny started driving again.

Mark nodded and gazed out the window, watching their surroundings pass by. He was completely zoned out until a small hand tugged on his sleeve. He turned to look at Donghyuck, who at some point moved to sit beside him.

“Do you like Spongebob?” The child asked in messy english. His parents had clearly been teaching him.

“Uh, yeah I guess I do.” He shrugged. 

He watched Donghyuck reach into his SpiderMan backpack and pull out a Squidward plushie. 

“Look!” The child squealed. 

Mark smiled and nodded, leaning back against the window. “Is he your favorite?” He asked.

Donghyuck nodded quickly and leaned against Mark’s side, smiling to himself. He closed his eyes and relaxed against his newfound friend. 

“I’m sorry he’s so touchy. He doesn’t know personal space.” Ten said to Mark, looking at the pair in the rearview mirror. That only made the Canadian laugh and shake his head.

“It’s fine, I don’t really mind. We all need to protect each other nowadays, he’s just one more person I need to keep an eye out for.” He smiled kindly.

Maybe this wasn’t all bad. Yeah, he missed his family back home, but maybe he had found a new one. 

\---

Day 7 [9:12 pm] - Lucas, Jungwoo, Jaemin

“Xuxi, oh my god. What am I going to do? I’m going to bleed out. I’m going to die.” 

“Nana you’re going to be fine. Don’t worry.” Lucas said as he pulled the old t-shirt tighter around Jaemin’s arm, the fabric soaking up blood. 

The trio had gotten into a car accident after driving into the city. Jungwoo had tried to swerve out of the way of a mob of undead creatures but ended up slamming into the side of a building. The only good thing about it was it scared off all the zombies. On the other hand, Jaemin’s arm had gotten caught in the crushed metal. They couldn’t do much. Lucas ended up having to do the worse. 

Let’s just say Jaemin came out of the car with one less arm than before. 

“Jungwoo, what other clothing can we sacrifice?” Lucas asked, looking over to his boyfriend.  
Jungwoo dug through their backpacks, his eyebrows pinched together in worry. He was completely traumatized already. He had watched Jaemin grow up. He babysat the kid for years, even to this day they were friends. 

“Here, we can give up a tank top.” Jungwoo handed a black tank top to Lucas, who wrapped it around the thirteen-year-old’s arm.

Jaemin bit his lip and squeezed his eyes shut. The pain was excruciating, but at the same time it almost felt numb. He honestly felt like he was going to pass out. His life wasn't supposed to go like this. He was supposed to be happy, with his family and friends, and most importantly: have two arms! 

“Jaemin, Sweetie, you need to stay awake.” Came Jungwoo’s soft, yet serious voice. 

The teen forced his eyes back open and looked at the pair. They were just supposed to pick him up from school, none of this was supposed to happen. Jaemin felt a burning sensation behind his eyes. 

“I want to go home.” he mumbled. 

Lucas forced a small smile and lifted Jaemin into his arms bridal style. He looked at Jungwoo with sad eyes before he began walking in some random direction. “I know, Nana. We’ll get you home eventually. I promise.” he whispered. 

Jaemin gave a small nod, leaning against the elder’s shoulder and closing his eyes. Why was he so sleepy all of the sudden?

 

“Poor kid.” Jungwoo sighed. He was now the one carrying Jaemin, since Lucas’ arms had started to hurt. 

Jaemin had been passed out for hours now, the only thing reassuring the couple that he was alive was the steady rise and fall of his chest. 

They had been walking for hours. 

Thankfully they hadn’t ran into any undead beings. 

“Xuxi, I’m scared.” Jungwoo said softly, looking over to his boyfriend.

Lucas looked into the same puppy eyes he had fallen in love with junior year of high school. He wrapped an arm around Jungwoo (and Jaemin) as they walked. “I’m scared too, Snoopy. Don’t worry though, I’ll keep you guys same. I promise.” he said sincerely.

That made a small smile curl on Jungwoo’s lips. He trusted Lucas, he always had, even if he was a little weird at times. It was just something more to love.

“Come on, I think I found cover.” Lucas smiled warmly, pulling Jungwoo in the general direction of what looked like smoke in the distance. Maybe there was hope for them. 

Maybe there was hope for their Jaemin.


	3. Day 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taeyong meets the new faces at camp as they look for someone they presumed was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some semi-soft stuff to make up for Jaemin's arm and Taeil's death

_**Day 14 [6:07 am] - Taeyong, Jaehyun, Jisung** _

Taeyong was awoken abruptly by the sound of a baby crying. Well, toddler.

“Shit-” he muttered and quickly sat up. He knew they would get in trouble with the camp if Jisung cried too loudly. The price of safety was hard.

“Sungie, Sungie it’s okay.” he lifted his son up from the little mat beside his and Jaehyun’s sleeping bags.

Taeyong held Jisung against his chest, rocking him back and forth slowly. The cries slowly died down to silence, but he knew the two-year-old wasn’t asleep. He felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist from behind.

“Hey, Jae.”

There was a grunt from behind him before he felt a face press against his shoulder. “Is baby chick okay?” Jaehyun mumbled softly.

Taeyong nodded and placed Jisung back on his little mat. When he tried to pull the blanket over the toddler, said toddler pushed it off.

“You have to go back to sleep, Sungie.” he sighed, looking to the child with sad eyes. Getting Jisung to sleep had been difficult ever since the outbreak. He often woke up crying and/or calling for his parents.

“No.” Ah, one of Jisung’s favorite words. The kid knew many, but he didn’t speak much, though he still had his favorites.

Taeyong watched as Jisung slowly stood up, wobbling for a moment. Jisung waddled over to Jaehyun and all but fell onto him. The younger parent gave a tired laugh and laid back down, his wiggling son trapped in his arms.

Jisung eventually stopped squirming and laid down against Jaehyun, his eyes drooping after a few moments.

Taeyong laid down beside his fiance and son, gently stroking the latter’s hair. Taeyong and Jaehyun were planning on getting married in a few months after Jisung’s third birthday. Looks like that won’t be happening. They had been dating for six years before they adopted Jisung, then a year later Jaehyun proposed. It had been two years since they got engaged. They simply couldn’t afford a wedding, especially not now.

The elder of the two parents kissed Jisung’s hair, the little boy finally going back to sleep. It was finally calm. Or so he thought.

Taeyong perked up when he heard yelling outside. “Stay here.” He said as he stood up, grabbing a baseball bat from the edge of their tent just in case.

He slowly got out of the tent, making sure to zip up the door when he was out. The sun was barely up yet, but everyone seemed to be up with an exception of the children and a few parents. A car had just pulled up and a man along with two children appeared to be within. The car was all busted up and had multiple blood splatters on it.

A man got out of the front seat and opened left backseat door. He picked up a small child, who looked absolutely terrified. After that another child got out, one who looked a little older.

Taeyong felt what could only be described as pity for the small family. It reminded him almost of his own, though he only had the one kid. He loved his Jisung more than anything in the world, even if the kid was a little brat sometimes.

He watched as the man walked over to the first person who seemed to come into his sight. It happened to be Yuta, if he remembered that name correctly. Yuta greeted a lot of the newcomers, since he was multilingual it was easy for him to help most of the survivors that came to their camp.

The camp wasn’t anything special, it was just a big fenced off area full of tents, cars, and even an old tool shed they used as an infirmary. There was constantly people on watch in the woods surrounding them. There was a night watch and a day watch. People worked every other day to ensure they got enough sleep and time with their family. Taeyong didn’t do that though, he was one of the chefs. He made food for everyone with the help of Doyoung and Kun.

Taeyong took a few steps closer, trying to overhear the frantic Chinese the newcomer was speaking in. He couldn’t understand much of it, but the man seemed to be looking for someone.

He watched as Yuta looked around for a moment and eventually kneeled down to Jeno, Doyoung’s son, and whispered something quietly. The boy ran off into the group of people in search for someone.

\---

_**Day 14 [6:16 am] - Kun** _

Kun definitely heard all the commotion outside his tent, but he didn’t pay much attention to it. He was laying on his side, thoughts swirling in his head. In his hands was a little picture of his family. Sicheng, Renjun, and his sweet little Chenle. They were out there in the world somewhere without them. What if...no, no he can’t be thinking of the worst. They were alive and fighting. They had to be.

He ran his thumb over the photograph. It was last year on Renjun’s 6th birthday. It was before they had adopted Chenle, they had just been fostering him at the time. The four of them were smiling, all covered in cake frosting. Even Sicheng. Kun missed the times when he could smile and laugh with his family of misfits.

He missed his favorite people.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door of his shabby old tent was open and a little boy with an eye smile stuck his head in.

“Jeno, what has your father said about privacy?” Kun gave a small smile, despite his heart aching just at the sight of Doyoung’s son. The pair was lucky they got out together.

“But Hyung! There’s people out there looking for you!”

Kun sighed and nodded, sitting up. It was probably just some lousy co-worker from the hospital or someone in need of medical attention. He pulled on his windbreaker before crawling out of the little tent and zipping it back up.

“Lead the way, Jen.”

Jeno looked absolutely ecstatic, which wasn’t really that abnormal. He grabbed Kun’s hand and began dragging the man towards the rest of the campers.

Someone was probably bitten and came to the camp to see if they had a cure, which they didn’t. It’s happened before and it’s not fun having to put that person out of their misery before the infection changed them.

Kun wasn’t paying much attention to what was going on until he heard a familiar voice scream “Papa!” He quickly dropped Jeno’s little hand and ran towards the voice. He couldn’t believe his eyes, or his ears for that matter. This all seemed so fake. He felt his heart leap into his throat when he saw a little boy running towards him.

“Injunnie!” he scooped Renjun into his arms, hugging his son tightly. Two weeks they had been apart, but it felt like years. His little boy had changed so much in just two weeks.

Then, Kun heard the sound of crying. Cries that he used to hear every other day. It grew louder until two more pairs of arms wrapped around him.

He held Renjun with one arm while he wrapped the other arm around Sicheng, a crying Chenle squished between them.

“My boys…” Kun breathed out, his eyes teary. “Oh my sweet boys.”

He kissed each boy’s cheeks, his own wet with tears. Happy tears for once. He could rest happily now knowing his family was safe and in his arms. No more sleepless nights or nights were his sleep was plagued with night terrors.

Kun smiled at the three of them when they pulled away from the little group hug. He took Chenle from Sicheng’s arms and held him close. His two angels in his arms. They were alive and safe.

The other survivors began to wander off with their own friends and family, leaving the four to their own doings.

“How’d you survive? The hospital was completely taken over.” Sicheng asked softly, looking at Kun with worried eyes.

Kun looked to his husband and sighed, studying the broken face he had fallen in love with. “It’s a long story, but you may want to hear it.” he said with a sad smile.

“Does it have anything to do with being immune?”

“Actually, it does.”

\---

“I honestly thought I would never see you again.” Kun began. The four of them were sat in his little tent. Chenle in his lap, Sicheng in front of him, and Renjun against his side. “I was hiding in one of the supply closets in the hospital. I thought if I could hide in there long enough the creatures would eventually leave and I could come find you guys. That’s not how things worked out though.”

He took his husband’s hand slowly, feeling his heart break a little more at how the younger flinched at the touch. He thought they were past the whole ‘I don’t like being touched’ phase. Sicheng didn’t pull his hand away though.

“I thought it was safe, so I left the closet. I was almost out of the building when one came out from under the front desk and bit my leg.” He lifted up his pant leg, showing a scarred over bite mark on his calf. “I thought it was the end when I passed out, but I woke up. I woke up and I wasn’t undead. I was alive.” He pulled his pant leg back down.

“Junnie’s immune too.” Sicheng said softly, causing Renjun to pull up the sleeve of what looked like one of Kun’s hoodie’s. There was a rather large bite mark on his arm, though it looked days old.

“He’s your biological son, it’d make sense if he too was immune.”

Renjun’s mother had died during childbirth. She and Kun here high school sweethearts. They had been only twenty years old when the news of their sweet little Renjun had been announced. Kun never thought he would have to take care of a child all on his own. Luckily, he had met SIcheng when Renjun was barely two years old. All Renjun knew was Sicheng, though he heard wonderful stories of his mother.

Kun smiled sadly and kissed Renjun’s forehead. “Eomma would be proud of her strong little boy. He’s already outsmarted all the monsters.”

Renjun smiled proudly and nodded. He leaned against Kun’s side and hugged both his Papa and his little brother.

Kun’s little family was back together.


	4. Day 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuta finds himself useful and Mark does all he can to protect the innocent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry

Day 21 [3:27 am] - Yuta

They didn’t have much trouble with the undead. Where they were located was a pretty safe place, thankfully. That meant when Yuta had the patrol shift during the early hours of the morning, he didn’t have to worry too much.

He roamed the borders of camp, a shotgun clutched in his hands. He wasn’t allowed to carry a flashlight anymore because it attracted the undead like moths. He didn’t mind though, considering he knew his way around the forest like the back of his hand.

Yuta could hear some kind of noise far off in the dense forest. It didn’t bother him much, it was probably a bird or a squirrel, it happened before. Jaehyun had once shot a squirrel because it startled him so bad. It was actually quite funny.

He continued to mind his own business, just wandering the area and letting his thoughts roam. It wasn’t until he heard the crunch of leaves that he turned around quickly, gun at the ready. There was no way a squirrel could make that loud of a crunch, they were too light for that.

Yuta reached to his belt and wrapped his hand around his flashlight. Now was the only time he was going to break the ‘No Flashlights’ rule. He didn’t want to get bitten. He clicked it on and shined the light around, looking out for anything out of the ordinary. Yuta thought he was just being paranoid, that was until he spotted two men, well, three. The taller was carrying a metal pole and had blood smeared all over him, while the other was carrying the third, who seemed to be a lot younger. The third also appeared to be missing an arm.

“Crap-” Yuta dropped his gun and rushed to the trio, who looked relieved to see another person.

“Can you help him? He’s losing blood and I don’t know how long he’s going to make it.” Asked the male with the puppy eyes and soft voice. He sounded so broken.

“Of course, follow me. Camp is just this way.” Yuta grabbed his gun from the ground and quickly began to lead the way to the camp.

They didn’t have a lot of medical attention to offer, but hopefully they could save this kid.

\---

“Lay him on the cot.” Kun directed, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Yuta had woken him frantically, saying there was a kid who needed help medically.

Yuta watched as the puppy-faced male laid the child down before curling into the other person’s arms, who had barely said a word since they got to camp.

“What’s his name?” Yuta asked.

“Jaemin.”

“And yours?” He continued.

“I’m Jungwoo and this is my boyfriend Lucas.”

Yuta nodded and looked back to Jaemin, who had already paled even more and lost more blood. He knew the kid probably wasn’t going to make it but he wasn’t going to tell the couple that.

“I can get you guys something to eat and drink, Kun will take care of Jaemin.” Yuta said, leading Jungwoo and Lucas out of the small infirmary. Lucas seemed a little hesitant, but complied anyway.

Yuta disappeared for a bit, then returned with two cans of soup and two water bottles. He handed one of each to each male. “It’s nothing much, but it’s food.” He offered a warm smile. “We also don’t have spoons for the soup, sorry about that.”

Lucas just smiled and nodded, looking to Jungwoo for a moment. “This is more than enough! We’ve been living off of old juice boxes and granola bars.” he said with a small laugh.

The newcomers ate in silence, basically glued to each other’s sides. It made Yuta happy to know the couple had each other. It meant they had someone to lean on.

Not even ten minutes went by and Kun came running up to the trio, hands and shirt splattered with red. His face was sheet white, unlike its normal golden color. The former doctor didn’t look troubled or distressed, so maybe that meant something good. Lucas immediately stood up, Jungwoo following a second later. Yuta was last to stand.

“Is he-” Lucas began, only to be cut off.

“Jaemin will be fine. I got the bleeding to stop and I got him to wake up and eat. He’s a little freaked out right now because he woke up without Xuxi? Who-”

“That’s me.” Lucas smiled proudly, completely relieved that his friend was okay.

Kun nodded. “Alright. Well, I’m sure you want to go see him. Yuta and I will set up a tent for you guys to stay in, unless you won’t be staying.”

“We’d love to stay.” Jungwoo smiled sweetly, causing everyone to smile in return.  
Yuta felt his heart flutter. He helped save three lives and hopefully lead them to a positive future. That’s all he wanted to do.

\---

Day 21 [9:58 am] - Johnny, Ten, Donghyuck, Mark

“Uh, guys we may have a problem…” Johnny sighed as the car sputtered to a stop. He tried his best to ignore the glare his husband was shooting him.

“Seo Youngho, are we out of gas?” Ten asked in an overly sweet voice. “I swear to god if we’re out of gas I’m going to stab you.”

They were in the middle of who knows where, just on a lonely road surrounded by forest. It was the worst place to run out of gas during the zombie apocalypse. They would surely get swarmed when night came around.

“We probably have some in the trunk, let me check.” Johnny said as he got out of the car and rounded to the back. The sound of the door closing woke the sleeping Mark and Donghyuck.

“What’s goin’ on…?” Mark grumbled, rubbing his eyes and looking around. He took note that they had stopped moving and Donghyuck was still smushed against him like a tiny magnet.

“John forgot to get extra gas like a dummy. Now we’re stuck.” Ten sighed.

“I can hear you!”

“Good!” Ten laughed softly and shook his head.

Johnny searched through the trunk, but found absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. He sighed and closed the trunk before going back to the drivers side, opening that door.

“I’m going to wander to see if I can find any type of gas station or shelter. You guys stay in the car.” Johnny said with a small smile.

That didn’t settle well with Ten. Something was was bound to happen, it’s just how situations like this were. Johnny was going to go out there all brave and stuff, but the world will be against him and something was going to happen.

“John, we can just set up camp here and stay for a few days. You shouldn’t be going out alone.” Ten sighed, looking to his husband with worried eyes.

“We need gas, Ten. We can’t stay here or they’ll maul us in the night.”  
The Thai man sighed and ran his hands over his face. He grabbed his gun from the glove compartment and got out of the car. “I’ll keep watch. You have fifteen minutes, Youngho. No more. Please be safe.”

Johnny nodded and kissed his husband’s forehead. “I will, I promise.” He waved to the half-asleep Mark and Donghyuck in the back seat. He gave Ten one last reassuring smile before he jogged off into the dense forest.

Ten slumped against the truck, staring off into the trees. He felt his gut twist in worry. He didn’t like having Johnny out of his sight in times like this. Who knows what was out there. Johnny could be bitten, or mauled, or shot by another survivor, or he could get lost, or he could step in a bear trap and lose his leg, or-

Ten’s thoughts were cut short when he heard the car door open. Mark slowly stepped out and closed the door as quietly as possible. The teen gave a small smile.

“Sorry for disturbing you and your family.” He said sheepishly.

Ten gave a breathy laugh and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. Donghyuck really likes you and you help John with food. Don’t apologize.” He shoved Mark’s shoulder lightly.

“I can tell Hyuck likes me. I like him too, he’s sweet. I mean, he’s talked my ears off and tried to hug me to death, but he’s still sweet.” Mark smiled. “How old is he?”

“He’s five.”

“Ah.” He nodded and looked off into the forest. “He’s a good kid. You’re really lucky.”

Ten smiled and nodded, glancing back through the windows to look at his son napping, using Mark’s jacket as a blanket. He sighed softly at the sight. He was glad his Hyuckie was safe and sound. Maybe picking up Mark was the right thing to do. Donghyuck sure seemed to like it.

Gunshots and an all too familiar scream interrupted their comfortable silence.

“Johnny?!” Ten called, eyes wide and alert.

The gunshots died down, but the screams continued. Agonizingly loud and painful.

Ten turned to Mark and grabbed the collar of his shirt. “Listen here, Mark Lee. You take my son and you run as far as you fucking can. I don’t care if your legs hurt. I don’t care if you’re hungry. You run and you get him to safety, you understand me?” He said firmly, tears dripping from his eyes and down his cheeks.  
Mark nodded slowly, his face deathly pale. Ten took his wedding and engagement rings and placed them in the teen’s hand. “Let him have these to remember us by. John’s is in the cup holder.” He said before taking one last look at his son in the car. It was the last time they’d see each other.

Ten sighed and ran off into the forest in the direction of his husband’s screams, which had since died down.

Mark took a deep breath and opened the back door. He slung his backpack over the shoulder. He grabbed Donghyuck’s backpack and shoved one of each parent’s hoodies in it. He then slung it over his shoulder as well. He reached into the cup holder and snagged Johnny’s ring. He pulled a string from his pocket and put the three rings onto it, tying it into a little necklace for the kid.

Donghyuck lifted his head when he heard all the ruckus coming from Mark. He felt something be slipped over his head and hang around his neck. He looked down at the three rings hanging from his neck. Two simple silver bands and one silver band with a multicolored opal on it. He knew those rings. He had never seen them off his parent’s fingers.

Donghyuck looked around for Ten, but found no one. Only Mark.

He felt himself be picked up, which wasn’t out of the ordinary. Only, these weren’t either pair of arms he was used to. He was held tightly to Mark’s chest as he was taken out of the truck. Donghyuck struggled to look around, trying to locate his parents. He couldn’t see them anywhere.

“Mark?” he asked, looking at the Canadian. “Where’s Dad? Where’s Appa?” He asked.

Mark just shook his head and shut the door. He took one look around before he began to run. He ran and he ran, ignoring the protests from the five year old in his arms. He even did his best to ignore the fact that Donghyuck had began crying and pushing on his chest, begging for Ten and Johnny.

“I’m sorry.” Mark breathed out, covering the child’s head with his hand.

Mark was never good at comforting people, even now he didn’t know what to do. Donghyuck just lost his parents for pete’s sake. He couldn’t stop to let the poor kid calm down. He wanted to, but he couldn’t. He just kept running, ignoring the burning in his legs.

It soon began to rain, the skies turning a deep grey. A cold and crip fall rain alerting them of the upcoming winter. Mark loved the snow and the cold, but he couldn’t live out in it every day. He need to find them somewhere safe to stay. Anywhere.  
Donghyuck had soon cried himself to sleep, one hand holding onto Mark’s shirt and the other clutching the rings around his neck like his life depended on it. His round cheeks were red instead of their normal caramel color and his lips were curled into a pout. The poor kid.

Mark slowed his pace to a steady jog. He hadn’t seen one undead being for the past little while, so he figured he could slow down a bit. The sky had began to darken, which was alarming. He didn’t want to be carrying Donghyuck during the dead of night.

He let out a sigh and repositioned Donghyuck’s head to his other shoulder. The child held onto his shirt tighter and let out a small noise of disapproval at the sudden movement. Mark continued to walk, his legs felt like they were on fire. That didn’t stop him from moving on.

Mark’s gut did summersults when he heard rustling in the forest on his right side. The rustling grew louder until it was barely ten feet away. He wanted to run away and save Donghyuck, but his feet remained cemented to the ground. Mark was frozen in fear. This could be the end. He failed his parents. He failed Ten. He failed Johnny. He had even failed Donghyuck. He squeezed his eyes shut, covering Donghyuck as much as he could.

Then, a light was shined on them. That woke up Donghyuck. The child clung even tighter to Mark, practically trembling in fear. Mark opened his eyes and looked to the source of the light. To his surprise, he found a man.

“Do you guys need help?” The man asked. “I can show you to camp. We can give you a tent and some food.”

Mark nodded thankfully and neared the man. He was tall and clearly well-built. He seemed nice and trustworthy in Mark’s opinion.

“What’re your names?” The man asked as they began walking to the ‘camp’, being guided by the flashlight.

“I’m Mark and this little guy is Donghyuck.”

The man stopped in his tracks and looked to the pair. “Seo Donghyuck?”

The child lifted his head from where he was hiding in Mark’s neck. He clearly recognized the man’s face within seconds.

“How do you-”

Donghyuck began crying again and reached out for the man in front of them. Mark didn’t even have time to react before the child was pulled from his arms.

“Wait!” A wave of panic washed over Mark, thinking he was being robbed of the child he swore to protect.

“I’m Johnny’s brother, I’m Duckie’s uncle, don’t worry.” The man gave a sad smile. “Well, half-brother. My name’s Jaehyun.”

Mark nodded slowly, deciding it was safe to trust the man. After all, Donghyuck was clinging to his uncle like a lifeline.

“Where’s Johnny and Chittaphon? Why aren’t they with you?” Jaehyun asked, rubbing up and down his nephew’s back.

Mark just sighed and shook his head, not wanting to talk about the pair when Donghyuck was around. He couldn’t deal with more of the poor child’s crying.

Jaehyun seemed to understand and nodded. He nodded towards some lights not too far off in the distance. “Come on, I’ll show you to camp. We need to get out of the rain anyway.”

Mark nodded slowly and followed Jaehyun to the camp he kept speaking of.


	5. Day 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeno meets the little orphan boy, who finds a new family after loosing his own.

**_Day 21 [1:37 pm] - Doyoung, Jeno_ **

 

“Jeno, Buddy, can you go grab two cans of alphabet soup?” Doyoung asked as he handed his umbrella to his nine year old son. Jaehyun had just brought two new survivors and had asked Doyoung to fetch food and dry clothes.  

 

Jeno gave a big smile and nodded, taking the umbrella from his father. He always loved helping out, especially when new kids came. He loved making new friends. He quickly ran to one of the supply sheds to find the extra cans of food, his wellies splashing in the mud.

 

By the time he got to the infirmary, where the newcomers had been placed until it stopped raining, he was covered in mud. The umbrella didn’t help one bit. Jeno handed one soup can to the little boy and the other to the older boy.

 

Doyoung looked at his son and sighed, picking him up. He didn’t even care that mud was now on his clean raincoat. “Jen, I give you my umbrella and you still manage to cover yourself in mud. How is that?” He asked the child.

 

Jeno only smiled and hugged his father’s neck, purposefully smearing mud on him.

 

“Alright whatever, you little shit.” Doyoung rolled his eyes, but made no effort to stop his son. “These guys are going to stay here at camp, okay? That’s Mark,” he gestured to the tall one “And that’s Donghyuck.” he gestured to the child.

 

Jeno waved to both of them, a huge smile on his face. Usually he wasn’t excited when more survivors joined camp, but Donghyuck looked like he could be a new friend. He loved making friends.

 

He sat down beside Donghyuck. “I’m Jeno!” he chirped happily.

 

Donghyuck looked over to him for a moment before scooting closer to Mark, leaning against him. They seemed pretty close.

 

Jeno didn’t mind that Donghyuck moved away from him, it didn’t bother him much. They must have been through a lot. He just looked at Donghyuck with a smile. Then, he noticed something odd.

 

“What’s that?” He asked, pointing to the rings around the younger boy’s neck.

 

Donghyuck curled his hands around the rings, his lips forming a small pout. “Appa and Dad’s rings.” he mumbled, eyes becoming glossy again.

 

“Where are they?” Jeno asked, causing his father to sigh.

 

“Jeno, bud, leave him alone. You can talk later.” Doyoung said as he put a hand on his son’s back, leading him away from the teary-eyed child. He knew nothing ever went well when a child cried, especially in their current situation. He didn't want it to accidentally attract the undead. 

 

Jeno nodded and waved to Mark and Donghyuck as he left, running out to find someone else to talk to. Maybe Renjun and Chenle wanted to play! Doyoung just watched his son run wild with a small smile on his face. He felt so lucky to have the little devil.

 

-

 

Jeno was sat by the extinguished campfire, squat down and playing with a few rocks. The sound of footsteps broke his thoughts. He looked up as another child squat down in front of him. A big smile bloomed on his race.

 

“Hi, Renjunnie!” He said happily.

 

The younger chinese boy gave a small wave

 

Jeno, of course, really liked Renjun. Renjun on the other hand was hesitant to befriend the hyperactive child. There really weren’t other kids in their age range at the camp, so they were kind of forced to befriend each other.

 

“There’s a new boy. His name is Donghyuck. He’s really goofy.” Jeno said as he began to stack rocks on top of each other. “He wears his parent’s rings. I thought grownups were the only ones allowed to wear fancy rings.” He shook his head and furrowed his brows. “Appa made me leave for some weird reason, he’s a weird guy. Does your Appa act like that too?” he asked, looking at Renjun with curious eyes.

 

Renjun looked at him and shrugged, making a little Lego man hop across the gravel.

 

Jeno nodded. He didn’t quite mind that Renjun wasn’t the most talkative. Just as long as they could be friends.

 

Not even five minutes went by until two more pairs of feet neared them. The duo looked up again to see JIsung hobbling along the gravel, multiple rocks in his hands. Taeyong was following him to make sure the toddler didn’t get hurt or lost. Though, Jisung seemed to want his father to leave him alone. He kept trying to throw the rocks at Taeyong, but they just fell from his tiny hands and hit the ground.

 

Jeno smiled and stood up. He ran over to Jisung and wrapped him in a hug, lifting him off the ground. The toddler dropped all the rocks in his hands and let out a whine, trying to free himself from Jeno’s constricting arms.

 

“Jen, put him down, kiddo.” Taeyong said softly with an amused smile.

 

Jeno carefully put Jisung back on the ground. The toddler went back to collecting rocks in his tiny hands. He waddled over to his father and sat by his feet, admiring the rocks.

 

Jeno sat down across from Jisung, Renjun as well. The trio conversed, well, mostly just Jeno. He talked about how his Appa was teaching him division, how he found a worm while picking flowers for Jaemin, and how he wanted his Appa to find a girlfriend or boyfriend. He didn’t really care. Love was love and he wanted Appa to be happy.

 

“Jeno, Buddy, you hungry?” Came Doyoung’s voice and footsteps.

 

Jeno looked up and smiled as he stood up. He waved goodbye to his friends (who didn’t return his wave, not like he minded) before taking Doyoung’s hand.

 

\---

 

**_Day 21 [7:44 pm] - Jaehyun, Taeyong, Jisung, Donghyuck_ **

 

“Why can’t I stay with Mark?” Donghyuck asked, clinging to his uncle’s shirt as he was carried to rows of tents.

 

“Because we’re separated by families, Bud. Mark will be on his own. I promise you can see him every day.” Jaehyun explained with a small smile. “Right now we’re going to go say Hi to Jisung and your Uncle Tae.”

 

“I want to be with Appa and Dad.” He said softly, one of his hands wrapping back around the rings.

 

“I know, Duckie.” Jaehyun sighed, coming up on a red and grey tent with a pair of people sitting in front of it.

 

Jisung was making a pile of rocks while Taeyong watched him. It was very well past the toddler’s bedtime, but recently it had been disregarded. Taeyong looked up and smiled sadly, having heard of what happened to his in-laws. He really liked Johnny and Ten, they had gotten along well.

 

“How’s it going, big guy?” Taeyong said as Jaehyun put Donghyuck down.  

 

Donghyuck wrapped himself around Taeyong almost immediately. “Bad.” he mumbled.

 

Taeyong sighed and awkwardly cradled Donghyuck in his arms. He had never held a five year old like this, but he would make do for his little nephew. He stood up and rocked Donghyuck back and forth while Jaehyun took Jisung into the tent. It was beginning to get cold outside and getting sick was the last thing anyone wanted.

 

After tucking Jisung in with his little chick plushie and kissing all over his face, Jaehyun grabbed an extra blanket and stepped out of the tent. He looked to his fiance with a sad smile. He wrapped the blanket around Taeyong and Donghyuck. It was such a sad sight. Donghyuck was staring at Taeyong with half-lidded eyes and tears streaming down his cheeks. The poor kid look so broken.

 

Jaehyun rubbed Taeyong’s back with one hand and wiped Donghyuck’s cheeks with the other. He began to sing softly, voice smooth and calming. He knew for a fact it soothed his fiance, it seemed to even be soothing his nephew. Donghyuck’s eyes soon fell shut. It was a relief, knowing the child was able to rest.

 

“Come on, Tae. Let’s get to bed.”

 

Taeyong nodded and crawled back into the tent, trying not to wake the child in his arms. He laid Donghyuck down beside Jisung and kissed both of their cheeks.

 

“Sleep well, boys.” he whispered.

 

As he laid down, he heard footsteps near their tent.

 

Outside, Jaehyun turned around and met the eyes of an equally as broken boy.

 

“Hey, Mark. Is everything okay?”

 

Mark nodded and extended a Spider-Man backpack to Jaehyun. He seemed out of breath.

 

Jaehyun took the backpack with a small smile. It must be Donghyuck’s. “Thank you, Mark.” He bowed slightly with a small smile.

 

“It’s got some of his parent’s stuff in it. I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.”

 

Mark nodded and gave Jaehyun a wave before he took off running again. The teenager seemed to have somewhere to be. Or maybe he just wanted to go to sleep.

 

Jaehyun crawled back into the tent and zipped the flap up. He opened the backpack, pulling out Ten and Johnny’s hoodies. Ten’s was just a simple black hoodie while Johnny’s was a white Adidas hoodie with a soft interior.  

 

He carefully put Donghyuck in Ten’s hoodie, doing his best not to wake him. Luckily the kid was a deep sleeper. Jaehyun then draped the white hoodie over the orphan like a blanket.

 

He said down at Jisung’s other side before Taeyong draped a blanket over the four of them. They were all tightly squished together, not that it was a problem. They were all nice and warm.

 

“Taeyong?”

 

“Hm…?”

 

Jaehyun lifted his head up to look at the older male. “When do you think this is going to be over?” he asked.

 

Taeyong lifted his head as well. “I hope soon. I don’t want Sungie or Duckie to grow up like this.” he said sleepily.

 

“Neither do I.” Jaehyun sighed and laid his head back down. Jisung curled up against his best subconsciously. “So...are we taking in Donghyuck?”

 

Taeyong looked down at their nephew, who was curled up in his parent’s hoodies like they were blankets. “It’s the right thing to do, Jae. He’s got nobody else. I wouldn’t mind taking him in.”

 

The younger of the two parents nodded. “Then we’re taking in Johnny and Ten’s little devil. I’m sure they would want us to anyway.”

 

Taeyong nodded and laid his head back down. He really couldn’t believe that his life had come to this. He was supposed to live a beautiful life with his amazing fiance and son. He never thought he would be run out of town by zombies and have to take in his nephew. Even though it was scary, he would do anything to protect his boys.

 

Taeyong felt his eyes drop to the sound of Jaehyun’s quiet snoring and the droplets of rain outside. He used to hate it when it rained, but now it calmed him. The last thing he could remember before falling asleep was feeling Donghyuck turn around and a little face pressing against his chest. Maybe there was still a little good in all of this.

 


	6. Day 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get WILD

**_Day 28 [12:09 pm] - Jaemin_ **

 

The fire was the only thing protecting him from the chilly autumn air. Well, the fire and a small blanket around his shoulders.

 

Even if it was a slow process, Jaemin was making a recovery. 

 

A physical recovery. A mental recovery would take a whole lot longer.

 

Jaemin stared at the campfire, completely zoned out. It wasn't until another person sat beside him did he come back to reality.

 

“I’m sorry about your arm.”

 

He looked over to Lucas and shrugged, dropping his head to the older’s shoulder.

 

“I didn’t want to do it, but I had to. I couldn’t leave you there to die.”

 

“It’s fine, Xuxi. I don’t blame you. Thank you for saving my life.” 

 

Lucas smiled and unfolded the blanket he had brought with him. He draped it over Jaemin’s shoulders, knowing the younger was probably cold. 

 

“Where’s Jungwoo-hyung?” Jaemin asked, looking to Lucas with curious eyes.

 

Considering Lucas and Jungwoo were usually attached at the hip, it was weird to see them apart. It was also slightly concerning to know they were separated, especially at this point in time. 

 

Lucas let out a long sigh, which made Jaemin’s stomach turn. “He’s got patrol today, which means I can’t be with him to keep him safe. They gave him a gun and basically threw him out into the woods. I don’t even know if he can shoot it!” He groaned. 

 

Jaemin let out a small laugh and took Lucas’ hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

 

“I’m sure he’s okay, Xuxi. He can handle himself.” 

 

The Chinese male just sighed and returned the squeeze to his hand. “I should be the one protecting you guys, but I’m technically still a child. That guy who has the bunny face told me that I’m not allowed to go out into the woods since I’m only 19.”

 

Jaemin nodded and stared into the campfire. Xuxi and Jungwoo were all he had at this point. His parents neglected him up until four weeks ago when the zombie outbreak began. Even then they dumped him with Xuxi. 

 

Xuxi was the neighbor across the street that had babysat Jaemin for years. He was like the cool older brother Jaemin never had. Babysitting soon turned into hanging out, hanging out soon turned into sleeping over, and sleeping over soon turned into staying over 24/7. Jaemin only ever went back home to grab clean clothes and to make sure his parents weren’t dead. 

 

It’s not like that even really cared that he was gone, so why should he care about them?

 

“Do you think they’re alive?”

 

Xuxi looked over and cocked his head to the side. “Who?”

 

“My parents.”

 

Xuxi sighed and shrugged, wrapping a protective arm around Jaemin’s shoulders. “I don’t know, Nana. I hope not. They were dicks. Big, ugly, stupid dicks.”

 

Jaemin snorted and nodded, a fond smile curling on his lips.

 

They sat in silence for a little while, just enjoying the first moment of true calmness in weeks. Not to much time went by, maybe fifteen minutes, before Jungwoo came over to join them. His shift must have ended. He leaned against Xuxi’s other side and closed his eyes. The poor guy had been working for twelve hours straight. 

Jaemin smiled over to Jungwoo, who had passed out right when he sat down. He took the older’s hand and gave it a small squeeze before he too closed his eyes.

 

-

 

Jaemin wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he must have fallen asleep. A shrill shriek disturbed his sleep.

 

_ “Jeno!” _

 

His eyes snapped open and he was on his feet in an instant, Xuxi and Jungwoo doing the same not even a second later. In this day and age they couldn’t mope around and sleep, something always kept them on their feet. Relaxation just wasn’t an option.

 

“I’ll go make su-”

 

“No.” Xuxi cut off Jungwoo, knowing his boyfriend was beyond exhausted. “You stay here with Jaemin. I’ll go make sure everyone is okay.”

 

Jaemin sighed and watched as Xuxi gave a small smile before jogging off to figure out what all the commotion was about. He sat back down and stared at the campfire, trying to ignore the screaming and gunshots in the background. Well that escalated quickly.

 

“This is fine.” He said to himself barely above a whisper. “We’re fine.” 

 

“Jae-”

 

“Just sit, hyung. We’re fine.” He turned to Jungwoo, who was staring wide-eyed in the direction Xuxi had ran.

 

Jungwoo shook his head, eyes finding Jaemin’s. “I think they’re coming.”

 

_ “Get your kids and get out of here! Go!” _

 

People began to run past them, bags and other belongings in their arms. Jaemin caught a quick glance of Mark with a small child in his arms. The child was crying into his shirt.

 

“Hyung scratch everything I just said. We need to go.”

 

Jungwoo nodded blankly, but didn’t move a muscle. Jaemin knew what he was doing. He was waiting for Lucas.

 

“Xuxi will be fine! We need to leave!” The thirteen year old insisted.

Jungwoo nodded slowly, mumbling a small “He’ll be fine” under his breath. He took Jaemin’s hand and began to run, bypassing their tent. It’s not like they had anything important in there anyway. 

 

They were quickly ushered into a truck by Yuta, who had deep brown ooze staining his shirt. The Japanese male started the truck before looking back at the pair. 

 

“Neither of you are bitten, right?” Yuta asked.

 

The pair both shook their heads and turned around, searching for their friend. They couldn’t lose Xuxi, not today. He meant so much to both of them. 

 

When the truck started moving, Jaemin about started crying. 

 

If they left and Xuxi was still in there they would never see him again. Jaemin couldn’t make it without Xuxi. Neither could Jungwoo. He kept them safe. He made sure they were happy. He was their big ball of smiles that never failed to share his smiles with others. 

 

Jaemin felt the tears come to his eyes at that realization. Then, his heart skipped a beat.

 

“Wait!” He yelled, throwing open the car door just as Yuta slammed on the brakes. 

 

Jaemin jumped out of the car and darted to the figure running towards them. His Xuxi was safe and sound. 

 

“Lucas!”

 

He was lifted up by the familiar tall boy that he grew to love, a smile on his face. 

 

Lucas smiled back, but continued to run to the truck Jaemin had emerged out of. He climbed into the truck and successfully smushed Jaemin between him and Jungwoo. He too was covered with the gross brown sludge, but he was alive and well. 

 

Jaemin clung to his two best friends as the truck sped off as quickly as possible, following a few other old cars. 

 

Jaemin didn’t really know what had happened, but he knew they weren’t safe anymore.

 

\---

 

**_Day 28 [8:29 pm] - Kun, Sicheng, Chenle, Renjun_ **

 

“Are we there yet?”

 

Kun looked over to his elder son and let out a small chuckle. “Are we where yet?”

 

“To safety. Appa’s scared.” Renjun said softly, staring out the window.

 

Kun glanced into the backseat quickly. He caught sight of his Sichengie sleeping and cradling Chenle in his arms, tears running down his cheeks in his sleep. He let out a sigh as a pang of guilt stabbed him in the stomach. 

 

“We just have to follow everyone else and maybe we’ll find somewhere safe, Baobei.”

 

Renjun nodded, busying himself by wiggling his loose tooth with his tongue. 

 

They both knew Sicheng was a worrier. He worried for the safety of his family the most. Especially Chenle. Their baby dolphin wasn’t anything less of a free spirit. The child loved to explore and make new friends, and those weren’t very good traits to have at the moment. Renjun on the other hand was a very independent person, he didn’t often go to others for help. Well, minus his parents. He also tended to be more aware of his surroundings, Lele was not.

 

“Papa?”

 

Kun looked over to his little boy, forcing a kind and reassuring smile. “What’s up, Injunnie?”

 

Renjun felt some of his worries be put to rest when he saw Kun’s smile. “I love you.” He said confidently.

 

“I love you too, big guy.”

 

The drive continued in silence, the only noise heard was Sicheng’s soft snorts and Kun’s fingers drumming on the steering wheel. Renjun tried to get some sleep, but it never seemed to come. Something felt off. His nonexistent spider-senses were tingling. 

 

There was some rustling from the backseat, which prompted Renjun to turn around and investigate. Well, there wasn’t much to investigate. Chenle had just woken up and sifted around in Sicheng’s arms. 

 

“Lele,” Renjun whisper-yelled, gaining the attention of his younger brother. 

 

Chenle rubbed his eyes with his fisted as he turned to Renjun, blinking slowly. “What…?” He mumbled sleepily.

 

“There’s a disturbance in the force.” 

 

Chenle snickered softly and slowly wormed his way out of Sicheng’s arms. He crawled into the front seat to join his brother. Usually, Kun wouldn’t even allow them to sit in the front seat, but at this point he didn’t even mind. 

 

The pair whispered quietly, plotting their make-believe plan to destroy the Death Star. They sat up on their knees in the seat and shot their finger guns out the window, despite it being closed and the child lock being on. They “shot” at trees, old street signs, even dead carasses as they drove past them. 

 

Kun’s heart swelled in pride. He never regretted one moment of the Star Wars marathon he had with his boys while they were snowed in a year ago. They had just adopted Chenle at that time. It was their first family bonding moment. 

 

Kun allowed the boys to play around. They weren’t waking up Sicheng and they weren’t breaking anything, so it was fine. Though, when the vehicles in front of them came to a stop, he had to calm the pair down.

 

“Injun, Lele, go sit in the back and wake Appa up.” He said softly, trying to look around to find the reason they’ve been stopped. 

 

Renjun nodded and took Chenle’s hand, pulling him over the middle console and into the back seat. He gently shook Sicheng’s arm. “Appa, wake up.” He whispered.

 

Sicheng opened his eyes and slowly sat up. “I’m up…” he nodded. He looked around at their surroundings, noticing how they had stopped. “What’s going on?” He asked. 

 

“I don’t know, Winnie.” Kun sighed as he rolled down his window and looked out of it. 

 

People began to get out of their vehicles one by one, the curiosity taking over. 

 

“You guys stay in the car.” Kun said as he rolled the window back up and got out of the car. He didn’t give his family much time to respond. 

 

He took a few steps forward before gunshots rang through the air. He covered his ears to muffle the loud noise, but a loud voice still managed to make itself prominent.

 

_ “Everyone on the ground!” _

 

Kun immediately ran to the vehicle to try to get to his family, but was knocked to the ground. The gravel scraped up his knees and palms. He looked up when the truck door was wrenched open by someone dressed in heavy armor streaked with dark zombie blood. His family was roughly pulled from the vehicle.

 

Renjun collapsed onto Kun, who quickly wrapped protective arms around him. Sicheng kneeled down beside them, Chenle cradled against his chest. Despite being far too big to be held like that, Sicheng did it anyway.

 

_ “No! Let me go!” _

 

SIcheng looked up from where he had his face in Chenle’s hair. What he saw made him want to cry.

 

Doyoung, strong and sturdy Doyoung, was shoving away one of armed men. His face was red with tears running down his cheeks. He began to run back towards camp, he ran right past the family on the ground. One of the men grabbed the collar of Doyoung’s shirt and threw him to the ground.

 

“Let me go back!” Doyoung screamed. “My son is back there!” 

 

Sicheng’s heart broke. He held Chenle tighter. He had never seen Doyoung so worked up, but now he understood. 

 

Jeno hadn’t made it.

 

“Winnie, come on.” Kun smoke softly, placing his hand on Sicheng’s shoulder. Renjun was clinging to his biological father’s back.

 

Sicheng had a hard time taking his eyes off Doyoung. He eventually forced his eyes away when Jaehyun came and helped the crying male up. 

 

Sicheng followed Kun to one of the vehicles, led by the people who had found them. Their little family was squished in with Taeyong, Jisung, and Donghyuck, all three of whom looked terrified.

 

_ “Remain calm. We’re taking you somewhere safe.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've posted the first chapter of a new NCT DREAM fic if you'd like to check it out! :-)


	7. Day 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short lil' chapter to make up for my absence. The next will be longer!
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry for any mistakes

Day 28 [9:01 pm]

“We were safe where we were.”

Taeyong looked to Kun, his eyebrow slightly arched. “Safe? We lost two children when the fence was broken. I wouldn’t call that safe.”

That seemed to spark some attention in Sicheng, who looked up from Chenle for the first time since they had been taken.

“Two?” He simply asked, face paling. He couldn’t deal with the thought of people dying, people he knew, but the thought of children was even worse.

Taeyong nodded solemnly, glancing down to the toddler asleep in his arms then to his nephew pressed against his side like a magnet. “Jeno and Mark.” He said barely above a whisper. 

That seemed to shock the two Chinese parents. Mark? The Canadian who Jaehyun found with Donghyuck. That was impossible. “What happened to Mark? I thought he was with you.” Kun asked quietly, trying to ignore the fact that he saw Donghyuck flinch just at the mention of Mark. 

“He was.” Taeyong sighed. “He was watching Jisungie for me when those damn undead bastards broke the fence. He brought Jisung to Jae then… he went back and tried to help.” The male paused for a moment. “He’s the reason Doyoung is alive. I watched him try to save Jeno too, but..there were so many of them. They ripped the poor kids to shreds. It’s a miracle any of us made it out unbitten. ”

The three of them looked to Donghyuck when the child sniffled softly. He was drowning in what seemed to be Johnny’s hoodie, his parent’s rings clutched tightly in his little hand. He had lost both of his parents, and now his friend. Taeyong held his nephew close, a sigh escaping his lips. 

The vehicle came to a slow stop. It really felt like they had been moving for ages, but it hadn’t been more than a half hour.

The door was wretched open, bright lights shining into the small space. The two families were ushered out of the vehicle and the sight before them was one to be remembered.

They seemed to be at some sort of military camp, or...containment camp. 

Bright fluorescent lights shining down on what looked like an old convention center being used to house survivors. There were lines upon lines of tents treating the wounded and the ill. People were running everywhere, some with bags of grain, some with weapons, some carrying other people. 

“You’ll go and find some empty space within the housing facility to stay. We’ll need all medical professionals to help out with the wounded. Anyone with military backgrounds will help out with the guard and the retrieving of the undead.” Said an officer, dressed in heavy SWAT team armor. He looked to the new group of survivors, taking in the new faces.

Many of the adults looked to the man, faces twisted in confusion. Retrieve the undead? Wouldn’t that be a suicide mission?

“What do you mean by that? Retrieve the undead? Why would you even want to do that?” Yuta finally asked, eyebrows furrowed. “They’re trying to kill us! They’ve brutally murdered our friends and families, why would you bring those hellish creatures in here?”

“We’ve come to a medical breakthrough. Our team of doctors and scientists have found a cure for this horrid disease. We’re working on collecting as many of those creatures as we can in hopes of curing them.”

The group went silent. That seemed to bring a new sense of hope for the few survivors. They could possibly see everyone they’ve lost again.

“My son…”

Heads turned to Doyoung, who looked like an absolute wreck. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot, his nose red and raw, and tears stained his cheeks

“He’s back at the camp. Please try to get him back. He’s all that I’ve got. His name is Jeno, he’s barely even eight years old.” He took a deep breath. “I’ll do anything.”

“If you want him back so desperately then you’ll be the one to find him. We don’t take requests. If you want your kid then you’ll go get him.” The man said firmly, his face etched with not even a bit of sympathy. 

“Then I’ll do it.”


	8. Day 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wakes up to an unfamiliar world and searches for what he loves most.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda shit, not gonna lie.  
> I hope you enjoy it though.
> 
>  
> 
> Sidenote: Thank you for all the positive feedback! I love reading comments left on my work! I want to respond to all of them but I'm too awkward to do so :/
> 
> Side Sidenote: Doyoung's chapter is next, so enjoy this semi-soft chapter until then :)

**_Day 32 [10:49 AM] -   .--- --- .... -. -. -.--_ **

He woke up to blinding white lights and many people- doctors? -prodding and poking at his body. He couldn’t remember much, all he knew was his body hurt. Everything hurt. Upon looking down at his arms, all he saw was the bruised and scratched remains of soft flesh.

 

Where was he? What happened?

 

He tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down. He tried to rub his eyes, only for his hands to be pushed away. He tried to look around the room, which he was finally successful at doing.

 

“Where am I…?” He rasped out, his voice weak. “What happened?”

 

“You’re in the Seoul containment facility medical bay.” One of the doctor-like people said to him, not looking up from their clipboard.

 

He looked around, searching for a familiar face. He found no one. He tried to sit up again, this time he was successful.

 

Everything hurt. His limbs, his head, his back, his throat. Everything.

 

A new man, dressed in a lab coat, stepped into the room with a clipboard in his hand. He looked vaguely familiar. The man had a soft face, round lips, and a small mole by his eyebrow. Yeah, he seemed familiar.

 

“Hello, sir, my name is Qian Kun.” The new man began, sitting in a stool beside the rock-hard bed he was laying on. “Can you tell me your name and age?”

 

That name definitely rang some bells, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint where he had heard it before. Maybe they went to high school together, or even worked together.

 

“Seo Youngho, 32.”

 

Kun smiled, as if he knew Youngho. It was comforting almost to see such a kind face.

 

“Alright, Youngho-”

 

“Call me Johnny. Please.”

 

“Alright, Johnny. I’m sure you’re wondering what happened and why you’re here.” The man said as he flipped through the papers on his clipboard. “But first I need you to answer some questions for me first.”

 

Johnny nodded, resting his hands in his lap.

 

“Occupation?”

 

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked to his lap. He couldn’t remember ever having a job. He couldn’t remember much of anything. Johnny searched his mind for any memory of a job, but he found nothing.

 

“I...I don’t remember.”

 

“That’s alright, It’ll take you a while to regain your memories.” Kun wrote something down on his paper. “Do you have any heirs? Any children?”

 

Children? He couldn’t remember children in his life. He couldn’t recall being with a woman recently. There’s no way he could have a-

 

Wait.

 

“Yes! His name is Seo Donghyuck. Is he here? Can I see him?” He asked frantically, moving to get off the bed.

 

He needed to see his son. He needed to make sure he was okay. How long had it been since they last saw each other?

 

“Sir, you can’t get up.” Kun quickly put his clipboard down and stood. He tried to guide Johnny back onto the bed.

 

“No!” Johnny pushed the man away and stumbled to the door.

 

Now he realized that standing and walking only made the pain worse and the black scrubs he was wearing didn’t provide much warmth to his weak body. Now he realized that the room was absolutely frigid.

 

He grabbed the handle of the door and yanked it open, ignoring the shouts from Kun. He needed to get to his son. He ran out the first exit he found into the cold world. He ran across the frosted ground, ignoring the screams and shouts of protest behind him.

 

There were people everywhere, and he recognized none of them. They stared at him with judging eyes, thinking “ _Who is this diseviled man who looks like he just went through Hell and back?_ ”

 

One person caught his eye.

 

“Jaehyun!” He cried out as he stumbled towards his brother, who wore the most shocked expression on his face.

 

“Johnny?”Jaehyun stared at the elder, barely managing to catch him before his legs gave out. He lowered the two of them to the ground. “Where did you even come from?” He cupped Johnny’s face with his gloved hands.

 

“I need to find Donghyuck!  Have you seen him?” Johnny all but sobbed, staring at Jaehyun with wide, fearful eyes.

 

He didn’t know where he was, he didn’t know what day it was, he didn’t know how he got there, he didn’t know where his husband was, but he knew the only thing that mattered was finding his son. His world.

 

“Please, Jae.”

 

Jaehyun sighed and looked away from his brother. He could see Kun walking towards them slowly, a sad smile on his face.

 

“How about we talk to Kun first, then we’ll see if we can go say hi to Hyuck.”

 

Johnny nodded immediately.

 

\---

 

“You have to be gentle, John, okay? Donghyuck has grown fragile since you last saw him.” Jaehyun said softly, a hand on Johnny’s back.

 

Johnny nodded, picking at a thread on the sleeve of his white adidas hoodie. Kun gave it to him, saying Donghyuck had kept it safe for him. Other than that he wore black pants and a pair of black boots. He did everything he could to hide how mutilated his skin looked.

 

Johnny and Jaehyun were stood outside a small building, apparently it was some sort of nursery for all the children not yet old enough to work a job. It was a little depressing sounding, but as long as the kids were safe it was okay.

 

They slowly stepped inside. What you would think it would be like was a daycare, but it was so much more empty. Johnny was expecting more children, but he only saw six.

 

The youngest looked like he was barely a toddler, and the oldest was definitely a teenager, but upon further examination Johnny realized why he was in there.

 

He only had one arm.

 

Johnny looked around, trying to find the one little boy he was looking for. His stomach dropped when he couldn’t find him. He was about to ask Jaehyun to leave when-

 

“Dad!”

 

His eyes snapped to a tiny boy running to him, swimming in a hoodie that looked like it was meant for a grown man.

 

“Donghyuck!”

 

Johnny lifted his son into his arms, holding his little body as close as possible. He felt Donghyuck’s body shake in his arms, then he heard the quiet cries. He was so incredibly relieved to see his little boy again. He was even more relieved to see him all in one piece.

 

“I’ve got you, buddy.” He whispered. “I’ve got you.”

 

Johnny looked at his son. Nothing had changed. He was still a little boy with big dreams. Donghyuck’s eyes had regained the light they had lost. His skin had regained it’s golden tone. The little boy looked so much happier.

 

Johnny wiped the tears from his son’s face, then felt the boy do the same to him. He kissed Donghyuck’s forehead gently.

 

“I’ll never leave you again, Duck.”

 

“Promise?” Donghyuck looked at Johnny with wide eyes, holding up his pinky. Everything must be sealed with a pinky promise.

 

Johnny hooked his pinky with his son’s, smiling happily. “I promise, buddy.” He nodded.

 

All was calm and quiet, the remaining children playing, Jaehyun watching the father-son duo with a fond smile. Then, the door crashed open, nearly thrown off its hinges. All faces turned to the person in the doorway, deep red blood covering his SWAT gear.

 

“Jaehyun-” Yuta panted. “It’s Doyoung.”


	9. Day 32-33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He died a hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't proofread. 
> 
> Good Luck

**_Day 33 [1:03 AM]_ **

 

He didn’t realize how much he’d miss him. They had been close since their teen years, but never did he think the death of his best friend would come so soon. He didn’t think he would long to see the bright gummy smile and hear the obnoxious laugh. But he did. He missed the bunny-faced boy he grew up with.

 

He stoked the campfire, staring into the red hot embers. He was the only person awake, well, as far as he knew. Kun was probably still awake, same with Taeyong. Taeyong had Jisung, so he wasn’t alone. Kun had Sicheng, Renjun, and Chenle, so he wasn’t alone either.

 

He had a family. He had a kid. He had a fiance.

 

But his best friend was dead. Gone.

 

It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since he heard the news of Doyoung’s death, yet it had already set in. He was never going to see his best friend again. He was never going to hear the snarky comments or see the gummy smile he had been dealing with since sophomore year of high school.

 

Jaehyun poked at the fire again. “Dongyoung,” He breathed out. “Take care of Jeno and Mark, yeah? Don’t cause too much trouble.” He stared down at his red-stained hands. “I’ll see you soon.”

 

He swore he felt someone brush against his back, but upon turning around there was no one. He sighed and grabbed a bucket of water, dumping it over the fire. He turned on his heel and began to walk away.

 

\---

 

**_Day 32 [11:03 AM]_ **

 

“What happened?” Jaehyun asked, running alongside Yuta.

 

“You know how that idiot was so determined to go back? He-” Yuta wheezed coming to a stop outside the medical bay. “He did, and it didn’t go well. Jeno’s...gone for sure. His body was nowhere to be found.” He crossed his arms over his chest and cast his eyes to the ground, hesitating to continue on. “The creatures got to him before we could...tore him up pretty bad. Didn’t infect him, just...attacked him.”

 

Jaehyun’s face dropped exponentially. “Is he…”

 

“I don’t know, I came to get you. The bleeding wouldn’t stop…”

 

Jaehyun immediately ran into the medical bay, Yuta hot on his heels. He pushed past doctors and nurses, ignoring the annoyed yells. He followed the trail of blood on the tiled floor, a sick feeling settling in his stomach. He followed it up to a door, pushing it open right away.

 

“Sir, you can’t be in here.” One of the doctors said, his tone panicked and his clothing stained red.

 

Jaehyun only pushed past the man. The view of the room would haunt him for the rest of his days. His stomach churned as his eyes travelled to the body on the makeshift hospital bed. A bloodied body, the entire torso ripped up, what looked like stitches trying to hold some of it together. Lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling and a limp arm hanging off the bed.

 

“Dongyoung…” He breathed out, rushing to his best friend’s side. “No...God-fucking-damnit, Dongyoung.”

 

Jaehyun’s legs gave out under him as he took Doyoung’s ice cold hand. He gripped it tightly, wishing for any kind of squeeze back. There was nothing. Not even the smallest of twitches. He grabbed Doyoung’s shirt with his other hand, ignoring the blood that stained his skin and acted as a reminder of his best friend’s death.

 

“Don’t do this to me, Kim Dongyoung.”

 

Jaehyun let go of the lifeless hand and regained his footing. He breathing quickened as he looked at his best friend. He swallowed the lump in his throat before leaning down to give the remains of his best friend a hug.

 

Doyoung never liked hugs, but he always put up with it.

 

Jaehyun didn’t want to let go. Doyoung had always been there for him. But he knew the older wouldn’t want him to dwell on it, he would be told to suck it up and get over it.

 

After a few deep breaths, he straightened up and stared down at Doyoung. “Tell me he died a hero.” He said, looking to the doctors- or whatever they were -who had been observing him. When they remained silent, Jaehyun repeated his question again louder. “Tell me he died a hero!” He all but yelled.

 

One of the people nodded slowly. “He couldn’t find his kid...but he saved one of the other younger boys that went on that expedition with him.” They furrowed their brows in thought. “I think his name is Xiao Jun. Doyoung-ssi risked himself to get the guy away from danger.”

 

Jaehyun clenched his jaw and nodded. He turned to Doyoung one last time and leaned down to kiss his forehead. He knew the older never liked kisses unless they were from his son, but this was goodbye. He gently brushed his friend’s eyes shut before turning on his heel and leaving the room.

 

Yuta was waiting for him outside, making small talk with Jungwoo. Jaehyun grabbed the Japanese male’s wrist and pulled him along, seething with anger.

 

“Who the hell is Xiao Jun?” He hissed. “That fucker killed my best friend.”

 

“Jae, take a deep breath and calm down. Xiao Jun didn’t kill Dyoung. Doyoung risked his life and faced the consequences.” Yuta responded as calmly as possible, pulling his wrist from Jaehyun’s grasp and resting his hand against the younger’s arm.

 

The calming touch didn’t help one bit. Jaehyun turned and grabbed Yuta by the collar, shoving him up against one of the walls of the medical facility.

 

“Say that one more time, Nakamoto. I _dare_ you.” He spat.

 

When he got no response, he let go of Yuta’s collar. “What block does he live in?”

 

“I...I don’t-”

 

“What block does he live in, Yuta?” He yelled, the Japanese male flinching at the volume.

 

“Block B!” Yuta yelled back at a similar volume. “But you hurt him and we’re giving you to the zombies!”

 

Jaehyun scoffed and turned. “Good luck with that!”

 

The walked out of the building, making a beeline for the different housing facilities.

 

\---

 

Jaehyun threw open the door to the B building, his face voice of any emotion besides rage. Whoever this guy was was going to get what he deserved. Maybe not death, but something worth the death of his best friend.

 

Many faces turned to look at him, confused on why there was a blood-stained and angry man in the doorway.

 

“Which one of you is Xiao Jun?” He asked coldly.

 

He was met with silence, until a hand popped up from behind a few people. A boy, not much older and fifteen, stepped out. There was a bandage wrapped around his head and ugly purple bruises littering any exposed skin.

 

Jaehyun couldn't stay mad.

 

The teen looked so...beat up. There was no light to his eyes and no will in his body, it was visible. There was no way Jaehyun could fight this guy.

 

“Doyoung saved you…?” He breathed out, watching the boy nod slowly.

 

Jaehyun took a few long strides forward and wrapped his arms around the broken teenager. He felt a pair of thin arms loop around his neck.

 

“Is he okay?” Xiao Jun asked quietly.

 

“He’s dead.” Jaehyun said plainly. “Died a hero.”

  



	10. Important Notice

So I haven't been updating, I know. I've been working on soft lil oneshots bc I'm really not in the angsty mood.

I promise I'll update this soon and add a new chapter.

Thank you for your patience :)

-Author

 

 

Stream Miroh by Stray Kids


	11. Day 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kun realizes he's been happy all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty gory and depressing, just a warning.

**_Day 40 [3:56 pm]_ **

 

“Doctor, Subject 10 is up.”

 

“Shit, alright.”

 

Kun stood from his seat where he was working on documents to request more workers for the medical division. They were dangerously low on staff members, which was far from desirable considering the many experiments they were conducting. The risk of an accident was scarily high when they were low on staff members.

 

Subject 10, if you were wondering, was one of those experiments. It was one of the creatures they had captured and tried to rehabilitate. The previous experiment, Subject 9, was successful as far as they knew. His name was Johnny.

 

Kun rushed through the halls, his white lab coat tightly pulled over his body. He stopped in front of the containment facility, grabbing his clipboard and pen from a basket on the wall beside  door. He took a deep breath before pressing in a code to open the door. Upon stepping into the heavily barricaded room he noticed something was off.

 

  1. The lights were off, creating pitch black room after the door shut behind him. The lights were never off.



 

  1. It was dead silent. Ever since they managed to contain Subject 10, it had never been silent.



 

  1. There was a soft squenching under his boots, which was never good.



 

“Hello?” Kun called out, feeling over the wall for the light switch. He felt along the metal, his stomach twisting in worry when he felt something sticky on the light switch.

 

He flicked on the lights and what he saw made him want to vomit.

 

Bodies of the guards lay on the ground, each with a large cavity in their chests. Blood was pooling all over the ground and walls. Now he knew why his boots were making weird noises and the wall was sticky.

 

Kun surveyed the room, his eyes landing on the creature crouched down in the corner of the room, eating what he guessed was one of the guard’s organs. It was absolutely brutal. The creature looked fine, unharmed. Blood stained Subject 10’s scrubs as well as his hands and face.

 

Kun needed to leave. He needed to get out of there before he met a similar fate to the rest of the people in the room.

 

He turned to leave, but the squeak of his boot caught the attention of the creature. That’s when he knew he had little to no time to get out of there.

 

He punched in the code to unlock the door. He could hear the experiment-gone-wrong approaching him. All Kun could think about was how if he didn’t leave he would never see his family again. He couldn’t leave them.

 

He pulled the door open and quickly rushed out. As he tried to yank the door shut, he found that he couldn’t.

 

A pale, undead, hand was preventing the door from closing.

 

“Shit shit shit shit shit-” Kun stumbled away from the door out of instinct.

 

The door was yanked open and in the doorway stood the creature. A small man, short black hair, a pointed nose, and what looked to be jewelry in his ears. He had a dancer’s body, just like Sicheng.

 

Before Kun could react the creature lunged at him, sending them both to the ground. He screamed in agony as the creature dug it’s fingers into his skin. He thrashed around as chest was ripped open.

 

Surprisingly enough, all Kun felt was numb. He didn’t feel anything at all.

 

The last thing he heard was a vaguely familiar voice shouting “Fire at will!” and the last thing he saw was the disgusting creature on top of him. Then all he saw was nothing.

 

The nothing turned to something.

 

Kun saw the day Renjun was born, the first time he held his son in his arms. Renjun was so tiny, so perfect. That turned into the day he proposed to Sicheng. He had asked Renjun countless times before hand if he was okay with them getting married, and the little boy agreed wholeheartedly. That morphed to the day they told Chenle they would no longer be fostering him, but adopting him instead. The little boy cried and hugged his new official parents. Each one of his most cherished memories flashed before his eyes, reminding him of the friends and family he had grown to know and love. He didn’t deserve to die when he had three boys out there to protect, but at this point it was inevitable.

 

Kun died knowing he lived a short, but fulfilling life.

 

He would never get to see Chenle go to kindergarten, or Renjun make it through elementary school. He would never know if either of his boys joined a sports team. He would get to watch them walk across the stage at graduation. He would never get to witness his sons fall in love, or say their vows at their weddings.

 

Kun hated to leave Sicheng all alone. He knew the male was shy and easily retreated back into his shell. All he hoped was for Sicheng to find someone new to love. Someone who treated him right. He wanted Sicheng to find someone who would help him with the kids and with getting through this crisis.

 

He knew they would be happy again, even if it meant he wasn’t in the picture.

 

\---

 

Three shots to Subject 10’s head and it was dead, slumping over the body of Qian Kun. Silence filled the air as the group of officers stared at the sight in front of them.  The person who fired lowered his gun, the weapon clattered to the ground.

 

The person pulled his helmet off. His face was pale, far too pale. He looked like he was going to be sick, or pass out.

 

“I just...he just...is he dead?” He mumbled.

 

The man beside him pulled his helmet off with a sigh. “Yeah, both of them are.” Yuta said softly. He didn’t know Kun personally, but he knew he had a family. Kun was the father of two young children.

 

“Hendery,” He looked to the pale boy beside him. “You go rest up, you’re still new to this. You’ve done more than enough for a rookie like yourself. Go visit your brother or something to calm your nerves.”

 

Hendery nodded quickly and rushed off through the growing crowd of people.

 

Yuta sighed deeply, looking back at Kun’s body. He knew he would be the one to tell Sicheng. He was fluent in many languages, so communicating was easy. But it also meant he had to tell of of the foreign refugees the fate of their friends or family. It was a terrible job, but there was worse things he could be doing.

 

He could be like Kun.

 

Yuta looked to Jaehyun, who was standing beside him. He pat his friend on the shoulder. He knew Jaehyun was still trying to cope with the loss of Doyoung, and now they lost Kun. Neither of them were close to the doctor, but Yuta knew Jaehyun admired him after he cured Johnny.

 

“I should talk to his family.” Yuta muttered softly, Jaehyun nodded in response. “Wish me luck, Jae.”

 

“Good luck, Hyung.”

 

What Yuta didn’t know was Jaehyun wasn’t focused on Kun, but on what they had dubbed “Subject 10”. He knew that thing. At least what it used to be. He could recognize his brother-in-law anywhere.

 

He remembered when Johnny introduced them. He remembered being the best man at their wedding. He remembered spending time with him when Johnny was working the night shift and left his husband and son alone at home. He remembered helping him hide easter eggs for their sons only a few months ago.

 

Jaehyun could recognize Chittaphon Seo anywhere.


	12. Day 40 Part 2

**_Day 40 [4:29 pm]_ **

  
  


Yuta had a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach as he walked up to Block C, which was where all the family and children lived. It was more protected than Block A and B. A held all military personnel and B held all survivors without families to go back to. Or the occasional teenager who didn’t want to be held with the children. Yuta stayed in Block B, since he had no one. 

 

He forced a small smile and waved to Jaemin, who was carrying around Jaehyun’s growing son Jisung with his one good arm and a big smile. Even if he got a smile instead of a wave in return, it still warmed his heart. He admired kids like Jaemin, who could smile and laugh through thick and thin. 

 

Yuta stopped in front of the building and sighed, trying to gain his composure. He took a deep breath before opening the cold metal door and stepping inside. 

 

The interior wasn’t anything interesting. It was mostly beds, bunks and singles, lined up against the walls. A few dim lights kept it all illuminated. It was cleaner than the other blocks, which Yuta assumed was to ensure no kids got sick from bacteria. 

 

He noticed Hendery and his little brother speaking soflty on one of the twin beds. He didn’t know much about the boy’s little brother. All Yuta knew was he was adopted, he was from Germany, and he was Jaemin’s age.

 

He waved to the two boys, only getting a wave from Hendery in return. 

 

Yuta continued walking, passing a few children and other parents. He finally came up on Sicheng and his kids. Chenle was curled up against Sicheng’s lap watching Renjun, who was playing on an old GameBoy in front of them. They seemed happy. Yuta didn’t want to have to disturb that happiness. 

 

“Hey.” The Japanese male said simply as he sat beside Renjun, the child not sparing him a glance.

 

Sicheng smiled softly, offering a small wave. He rested his cheek against the top of Chenle’s head. He looked so content. He still thought his husband was alive. 

 

“I’m going to be straightforward with you.” Yuta began. “Your husband is dead. He died not even an hour ago. One of the experiments went rogue and he unfortunately had to feel it’s wrath.” He took a deep breath, refusing to meet the wide eyes of the three Chinese boys. “What he did for us was incredible. He had such a unique mind, one unlike any other. We could have never done some of the things without his mind. I’m really sorry you have to hear this from me but-”

 

“Get out.” 

 

Yuta looked up, meeting the broken and glassy eyes of Kun’s husband. His widower. Sicheng was holding both of his children now. Renjun’s face in his neck and Chenle’s tucked against his chest.

 

“W...What?” Yuta furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

 

“Get away from my children.” Sicheng seared, tears threatening to fall down his face. 

 

Yuta had never seen him so serious. It was a little scary, seeing the once soft spoken and gentle male so serious and stern.

 

“Get away from my family!” The Chinese male screamed, pulling both Renjun and Chenle closer to him. “Get out of my sight! Never come near my boys and I again!” Tears began to fall down his cheeks.

 

Yuta shot up, backing away from the bed. He watched as Sicheng broke down completely, curling around his sons. He had no other choice but to leave as quickly as possible, his heart breaking a little bit every time he heard Sicheng let out a sob. He knew he couldn’t help if Sicheng was going to be so defensive. He wouldn’t force his presence upon the other male, he knew he had to keep his distance.

 

Upon leaving Block C, Yuta was met with a hysterical Taeyong.

 

“Have you seen Jisung?!” The man screeched, grabbing Yuta by the shoulders. “We can’t find him anywhere!” 

 

Despite the panic bubbling in Yuta’s chest from the realization that they lost a two year old, he grabbed Taeyong’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “Breathe, dude. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Maybe he’s with Jaemin or with Donghyuck. He has to be around.”

 

Taeyong took a deep breath and nodded. “Please help me look for him. He’s so young, there’s so many things out there that can hurt him.”

 

Yuta nodded and let go of Taeyong’s hands. “You go towards the daycare and I’ll go towards the mess hall.”

 

And with that they dashed off in opposite directions on the hunt for a missing toddler.


End file.
